State investigating fire that damages Falmouth home

FALMOUTH, Maine — The state fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of a Monday afternoon fire that did significant damage to a home at 18 Birkdale Road.

Firefighters from Falmouth, Portland and Cumberland arrived around 4 p.m. after a passerby reported smoke coming from the roof of the home at the Falmouth Country Club.

When they attempted to enter the house, crews encountered a large hole in the floor just inside the front door and had to back out and enter through the rear, according to a press release from the Falmouth Fire Department.

Inside they found the fire burning in the basement and on the first and second floors. The fire, according to the press release, had burned a hole through the entire center of the residence.

The blaze was extinguished in less than 30 minutes.

No one was home at the time of the fire, but one pet was unaccounted for. The home’s interior sustained major damage, according to the fire department, which did not identify the homeowners.